Aggression to beauty: The inner world of Derek Piotr

Aesthetic significance is Derek Piotr’s driving force, reforming with every mood or energy. The ‘feeling’, as he describes it, before the creation of a work stimulates urgency in discovering appropriate sounds or patterns to achieve genuine and on point expression which results in the variable use of artistic mediums whether its field recordings, synthesized sounds, voice recordings, etc.

These sounds and methods might change with the style of interest (drone, pop, chamber compositions, etc.), but the flavor of his created ambiance remains the same. It’s experimentation with purpose:

“I never see it as “experimenting”, more as working with a set of variables to achieve a desired outcome…I guess this is technically experimenting! But the end product is always a result of very precise considerations.”

This fundamental artistic mindset ventures into a new sound. What was once aggression transforms into a chase of beauty, clarity, and sensuality. Thus, Piotr enters the chromatic and sensual worlds of Southeast Asian sounds and other Non-Western folk music (Scottish pipers, dhikrs, Shirley Collins, etc.) without losing his prior foundation in musical avant-garde that revels in exercises in style and concept. This new exploration in musical language stemming from a broader cultural context generates a unique vocabulary Piotr calls home.

“I think I’m moving slowly closer to the music I hear in my head, the most “me” music. Hopefully closer and closer to where I can reach that elusive music I hear in my mind’s eye and towards a more sensual, powerful experience for the listener.”

The two new works “Tonic/You Move” and “Light” embody this language, this new sound, through the artistic association of structure and feeling. It is both rational and emotional. Tonic guides the listener through the lands of Thai Bamboo flutes and Arab folk dance (Dabke) while Light incorporates Tuvan throat singing as heard by Sainkho Namtchylak and the humorous use of Western basslines mimicking Missy Elliot’s style.

Overall, working on a musical idea closer to the inner world of the artist with an expanded scope in worldly musical languages drives Piotr on a new path that strives towards the attainment of inspiring beauty.

“My hope when people hear these tracks is that they’re very immediate and uplifting. They’re both incredibly close to the music I hear in my head — something that merges indigenous, acoustic devotional music with something that is very manicured and “pop” and overall, I personally think they are beautiful.”

The album ‘Forest People Pop’ is out on Bit-Phalanx Music June 16th 2017